Two of the state’s top Class 5 football teams meet Friday night in the Central Ozarks Conference.

Nixa visits Willard in the News-Leader Game of the Week. Nixa (2-1) enters as the No. 7-ranked Class 5 team in the Missouri Media Rankings, while unbeaten Willard comes in on the Eagles’ heels at No. 8.

Willard is averaging 42.7 points scored per game in the first three games of the 2015 season. The Tigers are led by senior all-state tailback Hunter Yeargan, who rushed for 1,970 yards and 37 touchdowns his junior year. He is also a reigning state champion wrestler at 195 pounds.

Florida State-commit Logan Tyler serves as Nixa’s do-everything guy. Tyler starts at quarterback, safety, kicker and punter. Tyler rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, but his destiny lies in being a placekicker at the college level.

Nixa, a 2014 state finalist, beat Willard in four of the last five meetings between the teams, but Willard scored the most recent win in the all-time series with a 21-0 shutout in 2014.

The Springfield News-Leader’s Game of the Week showcases one high school football game per week through the regular season. The Game of the Week is selected by News-Leader staff based on an array of criteria including quality of play, rivalry, conference significance and playoff implications.